About the authors

Julia Winterson has many years experience of teaching in colleges and universities. She has alsoworked as the music Qualification Leader for Edexcel and as Head of New Music for PetersEdition. Publications include four anthologies of music for schools, and Pop Music: The TextBook. Her DPhil research was into the education work of orchestras and opera companies. She isa member of the International Society for Contemporary Music British Section, the MusicPublishers Association Education and Training Committee, and the Editorial Board of New Notesmagazine.

Michael Russ is Associate Dean of Music, Humanities and Media at the University ofHuddersfield. Before moving to Huddersfield he taught music at the University of Ulstereventually becoming Head of School. His publications include a monograph on Mussorgsky’sPictures at an Exhibition as well as a large number of journal articles on music theory andanalysis, primarily as applied to late nineteenth and early twentieth century music. He won theWestrup prize for musicology in 1994 and holds a Distinguished Teaching Award from theUniversity of Ulster. Michael Russ was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from the HigherEducation Academy in 2008.

The authors may be contacted at the following email addressesj.m.winterson@hud.ac.ukjulia.winterson@btinternet.comm.russ@hud.ac.uk

For further information and electronic copies you can visit the project webpage athttp://www.hud.ac.uk/tqef/1c

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank students and teachers in the participating secondary schools, sixth formcolleges, colleges of further education and universities for their help and co-operation during theresearch project. Special thanks go to students and staff at the University of Huddersfield, theUniversity of Southampton, Liverpool Hope University and Nottingham Trent University for theirtime and expertise. The authors would also like to thank the Society for Music Analysis, theNational Association for Music Staff in Higher Education, the Associated Board of the RoyalSchools of Music, the Edexcel examination board and PALATINE for their support.

Contents

|1 Introduction |4 ||1.1 Rationale for the research project…………………………………………..………….... |4 ||1.2 Related literature………………………………………………………….…………….. |5 ||1.3 Methods of data collection and analysis… |7 ||2 Level 3 Qualifications in Music and Music Technology |7 ||2.1 Broad principles…………………………………………………………………….…... |7 ||2.2 The examination boards, QCA and government policy…….…………….………….…. |9 ||2.3 Level 3 specifications………………………………………………………………...…. |10 ||2.4 A Level Music ………………………………………………….…………..…..………. |10 ||2.5 Some examples of the differences between examination boards and | ||specifications (Music)……….………………………………………….…………………………………... |11 ||2.6 QCA Review of standards in A Level and GCSE Music. 1985–2005…………….……. |12 ||2.7 A Level Music Technology and BTEC National Diploma in Music |12 ||Technology…..….. |13 ||2.8 Creative and Media Diploma…………………………………………………………..... |16 ||2.9 Summary ……………. ……………………….………………………………………... | ||3 Music in Schools, Sixth Form Colleges, and Further Education Colleges |17 ||3.1 The impact of Curriculum 2000…………………………………………….………...… |17 ||3.2 The transition from GCSE to A Level Music…………………………………….….…. |19 ||3.3 Examination boards and options…………………………………………………..……. |19 ||3.4 A new type of music student………………………………………………………….… |21 ||3.5 The teaching of traditional skills in analysis, harmony and |21 ||counterpoint………………. |22 ||3.6 Teaching and learning styles…………………………………………………………..... | ||3.7 What teachers believed universities should offer in their music |22 ||degrees…………………………………………………………….……………………….… |23 ||3.8 The PGCE perspective………………………………………….…………………..…… |24 ||3.9 Summary………………………………………………………………………………… | ||4 Music, Music Technology and English at the University of Huddersfield |25 ||4.1 Music provision at Huddersfield……………………………….………………..………. |25 ||4.2 Issues in the sector………………………………………………….…………….….….. |26 ||4.3 Staff questionnaire - Analysis………..….………………………………................….... |27 ||4.4 Summary of findings…………………………………………………………………….. |34 ||5 Student surveys – Music, Music Technology, and English |36 ||5.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….…………..…………. |36 ||5.2 Music and Music Technology Surveys………………………….……………………… |37 ||5.3 Entry qualifications…………………………………………….…….…………….……. |37 ||5.4 Difficult aspects of the course …………………………………….….………….……… |42 ||5.5 Aspects of the course that students felt well-prepared |44 ||for………………..……...……… |46 ||5.6 Individual modules……………………………………….…………….…………..……. |58 ||5.7 Course choice…………………………………………….………….………….……….. |59 ||5.8 Expectations of the course…………………………….………….…………….……….. |60 ||5.9 Career aspirations……………………………………..…………….…………………… |61 ||5.10 Music outside school……………………………………………..…………….............. |62 ||5.11 English Language and English Studies surveys…………………….……………….…. | ||5.12 Music and Music Technology 2008 surveys. The best and worst aspects |69 ||of the first year experience and desired changes…………………………..………….………………… |81 ||5.13 Summary of findings…………………………………………………………………… | ||6 A comparison of entry and exit qualifications for 2007 graduates at the |84 ||University of Huddersfield in Music, Music Technology, English Studies, and| ||English Language | ||6.1 UCAS points and final degree classifications…………………………….……. |84 ||6.2 Individual A Level grades and final degree classifications……………...……...|87 || |89 ||6.3 Summary and conclusion | ||7 The teaching of composition at university |89 ||8 Essay writing for music undergraduates |91 ||9 Towards a better understanding of the transition between school and |93 |

|university |93 ||Conclusions and recommendations | ||10 Executive summary |97 ||10.1 Introduction…………………………………………………….…………….………… |97 ||10.2 Findings …………………………………………………….…………………………. |97 ||10.3 Recommendations……………………………………………………………………… |100 ||References |103 ||Appendix 1 Current Level 3 specifications |105 ||Current AS/A2 GCE Music specifications…………..……………………………………… |105 ||Current AS/A2 GCE Music Technology specification……………………...……………… |111 ||Current BTEC National Diploma specifications …………………………………………… |113 ||Appendix 2 Questionnaires |115 ||Student questionnaires 2007 | ||BMus………………………………………………………………………………………… |115 ||Music Technology (School of Music, Humanities and Media) ………………..…………… |117 ||Music Technology (School of Computing and Engineering) ………………….…………… |120 ||English Language…………………………………………………………………………… |123 ||English Studies……………………………………………………………………………… |124 ||Student questionnaires 2008………………………………………………………………… | ||BMus………………………………………………………………………………………… |125 ||Music Technology (School of Music, Humanities and Media)……………………………... |127 ||Staff questionnaire…………………………………………………………...……………… |129 ||Appendix 3 Student survey - statement of results |132 ||2007 Surveys | ||School of Music, Humanities and Media | ||BMus in Music……………………………………………………………………………… |132 ||BA in Music Technology and Popular Music……………………………………………… |153 ||BA in Music Technology…………………………………………………………………… |172 ||BA in Creative Music Technology………………………………………………………… |185 ||School of Computing and Engineering | ||BA/BSc in Popular Music Production……………………………………………………… |191 ||BSc in Music Technology and Audio Systems……………………………………………... |199 ||BSc in Music Technology and Software Development……………………………………... |204 ||School of Music, Humanities and Media | ||BA in English Studies……………………………………………..………………………… |207 ||BA in English Language…………………………………………………………………….. |224 ||2008 Surveys | ||School of Music, Humanities and Media | ||BMus in Music……………………………………………………………………………… |232 ||Music Technology ………………………………………………………………………….. |244 ||Music and Music Technology at Liverpool Hope University……………………………… |250 ||Music at the Unuiversity of Southampton………………………………………………….. |256 |

1 Introduction

1.1 Rationale for the research project

This project stemmed from a need to improve understanding of the transition from school to university inmusic and other related subjects. It followed informal observations that the quality of the studentexperience in their first year at university is in part dependent on how comfortable students feel with theinterface between school and university. While some students might thrive precisely because they areembarking on new challenges, students who feel that that their work at school is poorly matched to theirwork at university, or their perception of what university music should be like, may become disillusionedand withdraw or fail to progress.

This project acknowledges that students now come from a wide range of backgrounds and thatuniversity staff need to understand these more comprehensively in order to manage transition

more effectively. A Level was traditionally seen as a good preparation for a degree programme and thefact that, for many reasons, this is not the case has not been fully appreciated by the higher educationcommunity. Although the project arose from particular concerns with students entering musicprogrammes, the project has ranged more widely than this and ways in which other subjects haveconsidered these issues were reflected both in the research process and the outcomes. The project soughtto establish much more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of students following particular Level 3programmes (primarily AS / A2 and BTEC National specifications), and to document these clearly in orderfor them to become a resource to be used in the design of first year undergraduate curricula. Level 3curricula in music are no longer designed as a preparation for university entrance and students are comingto university from much more diverse backgrounds. In Music, for example, the amount of time spentstudying Western Classical Music and traditional skills in harmony and counterpoint has much decreased.

The project examined both how curricula can build upon the strengths of students and how to avoid thenegative view that it is necessary to begin an undergraduate course with essentially remedial work.

The main aims of this project were to:

• research the interface between A Level and university entrance across a range of subjects• (in the case of music and music technology) establish what is currently being taught at Level 3 and

to establish the most and least favoured options within the syllabi.• engage with AS and A2 Examination Boards to establish the mechanisms by which they

take account of the views of universities in a range of subjects and to establish what theyperceive to be the underlying drivers of syllabi

• work with teachers to develop an understanding of how the curriculum is delivered and toreach a clear understanding of the likely strengths and weaknesses of students coming froma variety of approaches to the Level 3 curricula

• try and reach a better understanding of student learning styles at school and how thesemight impact on their work at university

• survey students from a range of subjects at Huddersfield and elsewhere about their transition fromschool to university

• organise dissemination events and developmental engagements with staff with the latterfocusing on improving the teaching of first year students through establishing a clearunderstanding of their backgrounds

• implement changes to curricula and teaching methods as appropriate.Important drivers for the project came from events arranged by the Society for Music Analysis (SMA) andthe National Association for Music Staff in Higher Education (NAMHE). At an event focusing on theteaching of music analysis organized by the SMA in March 2006 it was evident that teachers of A LevelMusic and music staff in higher education had considerably moved apart. A participant at this event, HughBenham, Chief Examiner in Music for Edexcel indicated that Universities were taking little or no part inthe planning of the A Level syllabus. Shortly before this NAMHE had organized its annual one-dayconference in May 2005 around the theme of ‘Foundations of University Music: From Secondary toHigher Education’. The conclusion of this conference, summarised in the anonymous conference report onthe NAMHE website was that:

What emerged from the conference was that a broad consensus between the teaching sectors at school anduniversity level does not exist. The disjunction between the two sectors might be typified crudely as beingthe incompatibility of participation, as an imperative for schools, with the discrimination tertiary-levelteachers wish to deploy.

http://www.namhe.ac.uk/events/past.php

The project has the support of the subject centre for performing arts (PALATINE), the music subjectassociation (NAMHE) and the Society for Music Analysis (SMA).

1.2 Related literature

The recently published report The first-year experience in higher education in the UK (Yorke & Longden,2008) focused on aspects of the student experience that might be impacting on discontinuation. The studyhad two phases. Phase 1 was based on a large-scale survey of first-year full-time students in differentuniversities and across contrasting subject areas. The second phase surveyed students who had withdrawnfrom their courses to ascertain their reasons for discontinuing. They found that the major influences onstudent withdrawal were ‘poor choice of programme; lack of personal commitment to study; teachingquality; lack of contact with academic staff; inadequate academic progress; and finance’.

In Phase 1 they found that the majority of students were positive about their first year, but in both phases ofthe study they found evidence that ‘the transition from a previous approach to teaching and learning to anapproach based more on self-reliance and undergirded by different kinds of expectation causedconsiderable difficulty for some.’ The findings are discussed with reference to ways of enhancing thestudent experience. For entering students they recommend

assisting students in the making of choices; being clear about what is on offer; ensuring adequacy of resources; andmanaging the transition into higher education such that students gain an early appreciation of what higher educationis asking of them

Yorke & Longden 2008: 52

Most of the literature about the transition between school and university in arts and humanities subjectsdeals with general issues and is not subject specific. The majority of studies into transition in the arts andhumanities deal with the disciplines of English and History. These recognize the importance of the first-year experience for student retention, and the potential difficulties of the transition from school touniversity. This research reinforces the work of Yorke & Longden ( 2008) and has shown that the areas ofdifficulty that crop up most frequently for first year students are related to study skills and timemanagement. They also have to adapt to new learning styles: independent note-taking in large lectures;writing essays that focus on analysis and discussion rather than narrative; and referencing written work, forexample.

Smith and Hopkins (2005) address several of these matters in their study of sixth-formers’ perceptions ofteaching and learning in degree-level English: ‘For first-year students it can be a shock coming to termswith independent, student-led learning, rather than the more guided, teacher-led learning experience of ALevel study.’ They concluded that

Although most students seem to have no concerns about their ability to study English at university, there does seemto be a strong indication that the mode of learning is problematic for them. At university, the students findthemselves having to deal with a new approach which challenges their expectations of what studying Englishinvolves. There is a movement from collective, group study towards a more independent approach without thelevels of support to which the students were accustomed.

Smith & Hopkins 2005: 315

University students are often taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. The lectures aretaught in large groups. This environment is very different from what students will have experienced atschool. Importantly, the familiar teacher can be interrupted for the pupils to ask questions without toomuch embarrassment. In theory, the same could happen in a large university lecture, but it is made more

difficult when surrounded by large numbers of (often) unfamiliar faces. As Smith (2004) writes

It is all too easy in a lecture silently to drown. What intimidates is the unfamiliarity of the situation – a large lecturehall populated by strangers, rather than an intimate school classroom populated by friends and acquaintances.

Smith 2004: 94

Yorke & Longden (2008) make several recommendations to help overcome some of these problems.These include the adoption of teaching approaches that actively engage students from the outset. Theyrecognise that ‘low levels of contact hours may initially be insufficient to motivate students to undertakethe expected levels of independent study’ and recommend the front-loading of resources for first yearstudents by increasing the ratio of staff to students and ensuring that those staff teaching first-year students‘have a strong commitment to teaching and student learning’.

One of the problems in schools is that the focus is very much on the A Level syllabus, getting through thecontent so that the students can pass exams and the schools can meet their targets. As Smith (2003) puts it‘English schools are hounded by league tables of exam results’. Having two sets of exams - AS and A2 –also cuts down the available teaching time. As a result teachers are not able to introduce the kinds ofpedagogy that students will encounter at university. As Smith and Hopkins (2005) point out ‘This is not theethos of lifelong learning, which surely promotes open, critical-minded deep and independent learningrather than learning how to jump hurdles to reach the next stage in the educational race’.

There is a general feeling that universities and schools should have a closer relationship in order tofacilitate mutual planning for transition. In 1990 there was, according to Clark and Ramsey (1990), anurgent need for better communication between secondary and tertiary educational institutions. However,Lowe & Cook (2003) found that this had not been addressed at the University of Ulster and pointed out theneed for higher education ‘to provide appropriate academic, attitudinal and social preparation for their newstudents.’ Smith (2003) too noted the ‘lack of planned transition from school to higher level study’.

Much of the research into the experiences of first-year students of music has taken place inconservatoires rather than university music departments. The focus of Burt & Mills (2006), forexample, ‘Taking the plunge: The hopes and fears of students as they begin music college’, is largelyconfined to aspects of musical performance for students in the first year of a conservatoire course, in thiscase the Royal College of Music. However, some general strands were evident. Many of the RCMstudents surveyed mentioned that time management was a concern, a common experience for students newto higher education. Dibden (2006) explored student experience in the music department of a British red-brick university. She too found that musical performance activities and the development of a performeridentity were central, but the research also revealed ‘an association between socio-economic background,term-time employment and academic achievement’. Other research has identified part-time employment ashaving a negative effect on academic achievement. Smith (2003), for example, points out that studentloans and consequent ‘fear of debt and the need for term-time paid work, exacerbate problems of dropoutand underachievement’.

Unlike many other subjects, music and music technology are areas that students are likely to pursue as anoutside interest or hobby. Lamont et al (2003) reported high levels of music-making outside schools ratherthan the music-listening found in previous research. The study highlighted

the importance of the contexts of music-making, which are expanding and changing very rapidly in our increasinglydigital, networked and globalised world. Involvement in music listening and activity can take place easily ininformal as well as formal contexts, and the relationship between music-making in and out of school is becomingincreasingly complex.

Lamont et al 2003: 231

1.3 Methods of data collection and analysis

The project proceeded through close comparison of the various A Level and BTEC syllabi. The views ofstudents and staff were sought through questionnaires. The views of various education bodies were sought. These included representatives from schools and colleges across six different local authorities, theUniversity of Huddersfield, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the Edexcel examinationboard and the teacher training sector.

Data collection in secondary schools, sixth form colleges and colleges of Further Education tookplace through interviews with teachers, group interviews with students, and classroom observations.Interviews with teachers focused on the impact of Curriculum 2000, examination boards and options,traditional skills in harmony and counterpoint, teaching and learning styles, and the transition from schoolto university and from GCSE to A Level. Teachers were also asked what they would like to see covered inuniversity music courses. Classroom observations identified different teaching and learning styles.

Data collection in universities took place through questionnaires, and interviews with lecturers andstudents. 422 students were surveyed across Music, Music Technology and English courses at theUniversity of Huddersfield, Liverpool Hope University and the University of Southampton. The studentquestionnaires focused on the areas which were key to their first experience of studying for a degree. Eachof the student questionnaires opened by asking for information about entry qualifications, careeraspirations, and course choice. Next, individual modules were taken in turn and questions focused on howwell they had followed on from their previous course at school or college, as well as seeking to identifyaspects of modules that students may have found both difficult or particularly comfortable with. As part ofthe analysis, comparisons were made firstly between the responses of students who had followed differentGCE examination boards, and secondly between those who had taken the A Level route and the BTECNational Diplomas route.

University staff questionnaires and interviews focused on the perceived strengths and weakness of currentstudents and a comparison of these with students of ten years ago; the main reasons for students droppingout; and any changes that lecturers would like to make to current degree courses. University entry and exitqualifications were examined through statistical analysis.

2 Level 3 Qualifications in Music and Music Technology

2.1 Broad principles

Broadly speaking the school and college music curriculum reflects many changes in the cultural, social andeducational attitudes to music where

• there is an increased emphasis on providing accessibility across the full ability range• jazz, popular music, world music and film music are included alongside Western classical music• an holistic approach is taken to Performing, Composing and Listening.

The introduction of a systematic and creative school music programme has enabled many morepupils to progress in and enjoy music at a higher level. It has been well-documented that music was anunpopular subject at school during the mid-twentieth century . In 1963 the Newsom Report found thatmusic was the subject most frequently dropped from the school curriculum. The 1968 Schools Council

report, Enquiry 1: Young School Leavers, found that music was again bottom of the subject preferences.As one young pupil put it, ‘Music at school is dull but modern music isn’t’. The subsequent SchoolsCouncil report (1971) Music and the Young School Leaver reinforced this message.

To put the situation plainly, many teenage pupils, especially those in the 14-16 age group, are indifferent and evenhostile towards curriculum music. (1971:8)

As late as 2000 the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found that pupils who takemusic only as part of the statutory curriculum tend to drop it as soon as they can. At the same timeOFSTED painted a similarly gloomy picture observing that a good deal of secondary school music seemsto be unsuccessful, unimaginatively taught, and out of touch with pupils’ interests.

But things were changing in 2003 when Hargreaves et al found that ‘attitudes towards music from bothteachers and pupils were positive, and uncovered many examples of good practice in music education’.They discovered that the inclusion of ‘active music-making across a range of musical styles and genres’promoted ‘a positive attitude amongst pupils, enabling them to assert a degree of ownership over theirmusic-making that is far less possible with classical music’. Pupils responded positively to many differentopportunities to develop and extend their musical activities both in and out of school.

All of this is welcome, but as a result the post-16 curriculum is no longer focused on those who maywish to follow the subject at university; a point which is returned to below.

2.2 The examination boards, QCA and government policy

It is important to emphasise that the GCE curriculum in music is no longer designed as a preparation foruniversity; rather it is – in the same way as other qualifications – simply an entry requirement. When allthe A Level specifications were rewritten for Curriculum 2000, examination boards were required toadhere strictly to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Subject Criteria for GCE in general,and for their subject in particular. It was QCA’s intention that the GCE should ‘build on the requirementsfor music in Key Stages 1 to 3 and the skills, knowledge and understanding established at Key Stage 4.However, it may come as a surprise to some to know that although the encouragement of ‘life-longlearning’ is cited, progression to higher education is not mentioned as being one of the aims. Rather, thesubject criteria are intended to ‘help higher education institutions and employers know what has beenstudied and assessed’.

However, it would appear that in music, at least, HE is not availing itself of this opportunity. Universitiesonce had an important role in determining the content of GCE syllabi, but now the relationships withexamination boards are diminished and there is a much poorer understanding of what goes on at school.There is a growing realisation that relationships need to be rebuilt if proper planning for transition is to takeplace. As Alan Thomson (2008) of the Times Higher Education supplement, wrote ‘Many educationistsnow believe the schools and higher education systems have diverged too far to work together effectively’.

As Hugh Benham, Chair of Examiners for GCE Music for one of the A Level awarding bodies, observed

Although NAMHE are alive to the situation, I don’t think universities have been sufficiently involved withawarding bodies in recent years. This is probably a kind of over-reaction to how it was in the 1970s and 80s. Inthose days, some exam boards were largely run by universities, who tended to think of A Level as first andforemost (if not exclusively) as a pre-university exam…I don’t think the awarding body I work with has amechanism by which it takes account of the views of universities. If it has, I don’t know of it.

In fact, the views of universities were taken into account during the new GCE Music 2008 revisions, butthis was largely down to Hugh Benham’s own initiative. As he wrote,

the views of universities are so diverse these days that it’s difficult to see quite what line to take. I distilled from theadvice I took that universities prized above all else (i) the ability of upcoming students to do whatever they hadlearned to do well, and (ii) some ability to see the wood for the trees. In other words, there was less concern thatfirst-years could already write immaculate five-part fugues than they should understand how simple harmonicprogressions work and how some chords are more important than others.

When asked what he felt the underlying drivers of syllabi were today he mentioned ‘efficientadministration - reducing the burden of assessment on teachers and centres and on awarding bodies interms of cost’ adding that this was reflected in the fact that ‘the people within the awarding bodies whodeal with subject development seem no longer to be always subject specialists.’ Another driver is the needto maximise the number of candidates by giving centres what they are perceived to like on the advice ofteachers, and finally the constraints introduced by QCA which ‘have a tendency to reduce specificationdevelopment at times to an exercise in juggling with percentages’.

Many educationists believe that there are two further elements of government policy that have(inadvertently) exacerbated problems in the transition from school to university. These are the introductionof league tables for schools in the early 1990s, and the move towards widening participation. It is widelyfelt that school league tables have led to, what Thomson (2008) describes as a ‘pass at all costs culture inwhich pupils are spoon-fed the information they need to pass a given exam’. As a result they do notdevelop either independent learning or the study skills they will need in higher education.

Following on from the publication of the White Paper The Future of Higher Education inJanuary 2003, there was a call for widening participation in higher education and a move towards

50% of young people going on to study for degrees. In 1980, UK universities educated roughly 20% of 18to 30-year-olds, most of whom were school-leavers. In 2008 this number has risen to roughly 44%. Thishas meant that universities are now expected to cater for a far broader spectrum of abilities.

2.3 Level 3 Music Specifications

Students entering higher education to study music or music technology will have followed a number ofdifferent routes. These may be summarised as follows:

School: AS/A2 MusicAS/A2 Music Technology

College Business & Technician Education Council (BTEC) National Diplomas (NDs) in Music & MusicTechnology

Most students will have followed the Edexcel specification, though a smaller number will have taken theOxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR), Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), Welsh JointEducation Committee (WJEC) or Council for the Curriculum Examinations &and Assessment (CCEA)programmes. In 2006, nationwide 55% followed the Edexcel syllabus, 17% OCR, 13% AQA., 9% WJECand 6% CCEA.

Twenty years ago the examination boards were all doing roughly the same thing and comparisonswould have been unnecessary. But now there are sharp differences between them as well as a wide rangeof options. Consequently there are sharp differences too in the experiences of students. Furthermore,twenty years ago BTEC National Diplomas in Music and Music Technology did not exist.

The QCA Curriculum 2000 Subject Criteria for Music stated that AS and A Level specificationsshould include a minimum of 20% synoptic assessment across the assessment objectives, i.e. Performing,Composing and Listening. Each of the examination boards took a different approach, meaning that AQA,OCR and Edexcel A Level Music all have different emphases and offer different options. This, coupledwith the fact that BTEC National Diploma students have a choice of optional units, means that it is verylikely that each university student will have followed a different pre-university route. Nationwide, themajority of A Level Music students take the Edexcel qualification, but even within that there are severaldifferent routes, e.g. in compositional techniques. So the starting points at university are not the same foreach student.

2.4 A Level MusicPlease see Appendix for a summary of the current AS/A2 GCE Music Specifications.

2.5 Some examples of the differences between examination boards andspecifications (Music)

(i) Set works and Analysis

There is a different approach to the study of set works in each of the main A Level exam boards. Edexcelstudents study 18 works from three different Areas of Study (chosen from a list which includes Westernclassical music, pop and jazz, film music, and music from around the world), whereas OCR and AQAstudy only six which in both cases are very largely Western classical music. The QCA Review of standardsin A Level and GCSE music 1985–2005, although welcoming the move over time to expand the repertoirestudied, was concerned that the detailed analytical study of set works had been lost. This must be based onthe assumption that where there is a smaller number of set works, these are studied in more detail and thatthis is a better preparation for further analytical study. However this is not evident from the responses inthe survey.

(ii) Harmony and Counterpoint

The holistic approach of the National Curriculum and Curriculum 2000 means that there is less emphasison the discrete assessment of musical techniques such as harmony and counterpoint. Relevant skills areassessed instead through compositional work. Edexcel students can choose from options in compositiontechniques which range from the ‘Bach chorale’ and ‘Baroque counterpoint’ to ‘Extended techniques’ and‘Electro-acoustic music’ whereas OCR have an emphasis on tonality. In contrast, the word ‘counterpoint’does not appear anywhere in the AQA specification, there is no requirement for harmony and counterpointin the CCEA specification and WJEC treat harmony and counterpoint as an option.

(iii) Aural

There is no longer the emphasis on aural dictation that there was pre-Curriculum 2000, particularly forAQA and Edexcel candidates. In fact, the paper in aural dictation is optional for Edexcel candidates. Asthe QCA Review puts it, ‘In the case of aural perception and musical techniques, there was generalagreement that traditional skills were no longer being tested at such high levels as in the past’. Tests ofaural perception are now more likely to focus on provenance, context, comparison, and other aspects ofmusical technique and style. The QCA Review perceives this as ‘a decline in demand’ and a ‘reduction inlevels of aural perception skills required’. Whether this is a decline in demand is open to question given theconsequent development of a wider variety of aural skills.

2.6 QCA Review of standards in A Level and GCSE music. 1985–2005

The following is an extract taken from the Conclusion of the QCA Review of standards in A Level andGCSE music. 1985–2005.

The 20-year period covered by this review of music A Level syllabi has seen changes in the cultural, social andeducational attitudes to music within schools and colleges, as well as change in the design of the A Levelqualification in line with Curriculum 2000 reforms. These changes were seen as positive in a number of ways:

• jazz, popular and world music are included alongside the western classical tradition

• areas of study have promoted a more integrated and holistic approach in syllabi• having performance and composition as integral parts of music syllabi requires candidates to engage in

firsthand musical experiences, including expressive and creative work, rather than being tested almostexclusively via a suite of written papers (as in 1985)

• there is now increased accessibility reflecting the full ability range.

However, there are several areas that have seen a decline in demand meaning that some important skills andunderstanding are not being as fully developed as they were for candidates in the past:

• there has been a reduction in levels of aural perception skills required• there is less emphasis on the discrete assessment of musical techniques such as

harmony & counterpoint, although relevant skills now assessed through compositionalwork

• the standardisation of requirements for performance to grade 6 equivalence meansthere is no longer the same impetus for the most able performers to challengethemselves; in addition, most awarding bodies no longer have an unprepared elementto performing and the playing times required in 2005 syllabi are variable

• there is a reduced requirement for candidates to present ideas and arguments inextended written work, resulting in less need for the detailed study of set works.

2007: 73-74

2.7 A Level Music Technology and BTEC National Diplomas in Music

A Level Music Technology and BTEC are very different beasts, not least because the BTEC NationalDiploma is a three-A Level equivalent with a wide range of options. BTEC diplomas aim to provide asound practical and theoretical grounding for a career or further study in music or music technology. Theyhave been devised in collaboration with professional bodies in the music industry. The qualifications arerecognised by universities, employers and the music industry, and the staff are often from the musicindustry themselves

The courses are practical and work-related. Students learn by completing assignments that arebased on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. Although the emphasis ispractical there are also written projects. As part of the BTEC philosophy, the emphasis is on theprocess rather than the product which means that assessment is continuous rather than throughformal written examination. There are increasing numbers of BTEC Music and Music Technology studentsgoing on to university. As with all courses, standards and resources vary from one centre to another, butEdexcel has a rigorous approvals and verification process to ensure that a high quality is maintainednationally. There are two BTEC National Diplomas in Music; the ND in Music Practice and the ND in Music

Technology. Students must complete a minimum of 18 units including five core units. All BTEC NationalDiploma in Music Technology students complete core units in:

|The Music Industry ||Listening Skills ||MIDI Sequencing and Software OR Sound Recording Techniques ||Studio Production Process ||Studio Production Project |

Students can then choose from specialist units that include Audio Electronics, Audio EngineeringWorkshop Skills, Computer Technology for Music, Digital Audio Principles, Music Publishing, MusicTechnology in Performance, Sound for the Moving Image, DJ Technology, and Live Sound.

Edexcel is the only examination board to offer A Level Music Technology. The GCE was introduced aspart of Curriculum 2000 and since then has attracted increasing numbers of students. In 2007 more than3000 candidates completed the Music Technology A Level (roughly 38% of those who completed Music ALevel).

A Level Music Technology students study the following units:

|AS UNITS |A2 UNITS ||Unit 1 |Part (a) Practical work ||Part (a) Practical work |1 Sequencing, recording and producing ||1 Sequencing or Recording | ||2 Arranging and improvising using |2 Composing using technology ||technology | || |Part (b) Written work ||Part (b) Written work |1 Listening and analysing II ||1 Listening and analysing I |A1 Analysis and discrimination || |A2 Controlling and interpreting MIDI || |data || |Music technology in context |

There are four Areas of Study in1: The development of technology in music2: Music from the Western classical tradition3: Popular music and jazz4a: Music for the Moving Image or 4b: Words and Music

Please see Appendix for a summary of the current AS/A2 GCE Music Technology and BTEC NationalDiploma Specifications

2.8 The Creative and Media Diploma

The new diplomas

In 2005 the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper set out the government’s vision for a new learningroute that would provide access to skilled employment and higher education. The intention is that the newqualifications will meet the skills needs of the economy by engaging young people in more relevantlearning. The diplomas have been developed in collaboration with employers and a range ofrepresentatives from the higher education sector e.g. the Universities of Manchester and Leeds

Diploma Development Partnerships (DDPs) led by Sector Skills Councils have brought togetheremployers, FE, HE and schools to set out the essential knowledge, capabilities and skills that

employers need from young people. Creative & Cultural Skills is the Sector Skills Council foradvertising, crafts, cultural heritage, design, music, performing, literary, and visual arts. Awardingbodies are developing the qualifications in partnership with the DDPs which will be accredited by theQualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA.). At the same time as the introduction of the diplomas,there are other education reforms taking place. As part of these reforms, A Levels will be made morechallenging through, for example, an A* grade. The Extended Project that forms part of the AdvancedDiploma will also be an option alongside A Level courses. Schools and colleges are forming partnershipsin their local areas to ensure that the education needs of all young people can be accommodated. A studenttaking a diploma is likely to attend more than one institution as part of their weekly timetable. Thediplomas will combine academic and practical learning in a similar way to BTEC qualifications, but theywill also include ‘functional skills’, ‘personal, learning and thinking skills’ (PLTS) and a wide variety ofoptions. Diplomas will be developed in 17 ‘lines of learning’.

|For teaching from September 2008 |For teaching from September 2010 ||• Construction and the Built Environment|• Public Services || |• Retail ||• Creative and Media |• Sport and Leisure ||• Engineering |• Travel and Tourism ||• Information Technology | ||• Society, Health and Development | ||For teaching from September 2009 |For teaching from September 2011 ||• Business, Administration and Finance |• Science ||• Environmental and Land-based Studies |• Languages ||• Hair and Beauty Studies |• Humanities ||• Hospitality | ||• Manufacturing and Product Design | |

There will be around 850 schools and colleges offering diplomas in September 2008. Each Diploma willbe available at three levels: Foundation, Higher, and Advanced. In 2011 an Extended Diploma will beintroduced which is intended to ensure that the most able students are given the opportunity to reach theirfull potential.

|Foundation|Level 1|takes broadly the same time to do as 4 or 5 GCSEs, worth 5 || | |grades D-G GCSE ||Higher |Level 2|takes broadly the same time to do as or 6 GCSEs, worth 7 || | |grades A*-C ||Advanced |Level 3|takes broadly the same time to do as 3 A-levels, worth 3.5 || | |A-levels. Maximum of 420 UCAS tariff points, with a maximum || | |of 300 for the "principal and generic learning" and another || | |120 for additional and specialist learning. ||Progressio|Level 3|takes broadly the same time as 2 A-levels and is aimed at ||n | |those who cannot complete a whole Advanced Diploma |

|Components |Characteristics ||Principal |• Learning that is related to the sector of the economy||learning | || |• Learning that is designed and endorsed by industry ||Generic learning|• Includes the assessment of Functional Skills in || |English, maths and ICT || |• Develops a student’s employability skills of teamwork|| |and self management || |• Gives the student the opportunity to produce an || |extended project || |• Requires at least 10 days’ compulsory work experience||Additional |• Allows for the student to specialise ||and/or |• Allows for the student to choose more qualifications |

|specialist |• Allows for flexibility and choice of learning ||learning | |

Assessment

Each of the components are qualifications in their own right and A Levels may be studied alongside.Diploma students will also receive an overall grade that will be calculated from the principal learning andproject aspects of the course. They will need to fulfil the requirements set by other parts of the course (e.g.work experience and functional skills at the appropriate level) but these will not be included as part of thegrading process.

|Component |Method of assessment ||Principal learning|A mixture of internal and external assessment ||Functional skills |Students must achieve a set standard in English, Maths|| |and ICT. For the Advanced Diploma this will be Level || |2 ||The project |Students choose a topic of particular interest to || |them. Internally assessed ||Work experience |No formal assessment, students will review their || |experience with their teachers ||Additional and/or |This includes a wide range of qualifications which are||specialist |already in place. Over time, new qualifications will ||learning |be developed specifically for the diploma |

The Advanced Creative and Media Diploma

Level 3 students who wish to study music as part of a diploma will take the Advanced Creative and MediaDiploma. According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the highlights for a Creativeand Media Diploma student in their second term might be

• producing a guide to what’s on in Manchester covering clubs, galleries and gigs• putting together a radio report covering a bus strike, interviewing drivers and passengers• analysing funding for the Reading Festival

Principal Learning

Principal Learning emphasises learning through the practical application of knowledge, understanding andskills to relevant work experience and work-related tasks, problems and contexts. At the heart of thePrincipal Learning for the Diplomas in Creative and Media are four core themes:

1 creativity in context2 thinking and working creatively3 principles, processes and practice4 creative businesses and enterprise.

There are six units for the Edexcel Level 3 Principal Learning in Creative and Media. All units arecompulsory.

|Unit number |Title |Assessment ||1 |Capture |Internal ||2 |Show |Internal ||3 |Interaction |Internal ||4 |Commission |Internal ||5 |Evaluation |External ||6 |Investigation |External |

Personal, learning and thinking skills

These are required to be covered and assessed during the delivery and assessment of the whole Diploma.They comprise ‘independent enquiry’, ‘creative thinking’, ‘reflective learning’, ‘team working’, ‘self-management’ and ‘effective participation’.

Additional and specialist learning

Additional and specialist learning consists of accredited qualifications at the same level as, or one levelabove, the Diploma. It may include qualifications which are also available to learners not taking theDiploma, or qualifications specifically developed to be part of the Diploma. Additional learning isintended to broaden the learning experience by including qualifications from other sectors. Specialistlearning is intended to allow learners to specialise further in the sector by undertaking qualifications fromthe same sector as the Diploma.

Qualifications for additional and specialist learning must be selected from the Additional and Specialistlearning (ASL) catalogue through the National Database of Accredited Qualifications. The catalogueincludes qualifications which have the approval of the Diploma Development Partnership (DDP) and willexpand over time as more qualifications are approved.

The future of the diplomas

In 2013 the government will review all 14-19 qualifications including A Levels. By then all seventeendiplomas will be in place. At the time of writing it is impossible to predict how successful the newdiplomas will be and how they will eventually be regarded by schools and colleges, higher education andemployers. The diplomas have been written in conjunction with the higher education sector and have beenallocated a UCAS tariff, so they should offer a different and viable route into university. The intention ofthe Department for Children, Schools and Families is that they will ‘make for a smoother transitionbetween school and university’. Headteachers are keen for the diplomas to work but schools haveexpressed concerns over the complexity of the specifications, logistical problems of timetabling studentson different sites, and the availability of work placements. Although the government insists that thediplomas should be designed to appeal to academically-minded youngsters, but with a workplace slant,there is still a general concern that a two-tier system could develop whereby the diplomas are seen as‘second-best’ vocational qualifications for the less academically able.

2.9 Summary

1. The National Curriculum reflects many changes in the cultural, social and educational attitudes to musicwhere

• there is an increased emphasis on providing accessibility across the full ability range• jazz, popular music, world music and film music are included alongside, and as equals to,

Western classical music• an holistic approach is taken to Performing, Composing and Listening.

2. In recent years many more pupils progress in and enjoy music at a higher level.

3. The post-16 curriculum is no longer focused on those who may wish to follow the subject at university

4. The GCE curriculum in music is no longer designed as a preparation for university; rather it is an entry

requirement

5. Universities once had an important role in determining the content of GCE syllabi, but now therelationships with examination boards are much diminished

6. QCA subject criteria are intended to ‘help higher education institutions and employers know what hasbeen studied and assessed’ but HE does not often avail itself of this opportunity.

7. The relationships between schools and universities need to be rebuilt if proper planning for transition isto take place8. The introduction of league tables for schools has meant that the GCE curriculum is exam led and there isnot enough emphasis on independent learning

9. Twenty years ago A Level Music syllabi across the different examination boards were very similar.Nowadays there are sharp differences between them as well as a wide range of options.

• there is a different approach to the study and number of set works• there is less emphasis on the discrete assessment of harmony and counterpoint. relevant skills are

assessed instead through compositional work.• there is no longer the emphasis on aural dictation that there was pre-Curriculum 2000.

10. In September 2008, as a result of the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper, a new Level 3qualification, the Advanced Creative Diploma, will be introduced into schools across the country. This isin part designed to help smooth the transition from school to university but, at the time of writing, it isimpossible to predict how successful this will be.

3 Music in Schools, Sixth Form Colleges and Further EducationColleges

Music A Level classes were observed in several schools and 14 teachers of A Level Music and/or MusicTechnology were interviewed. They came from a representative sample of schools and colleges fromseven local authorities across the country; four sixth form colleges, two further education colleges, threecomprehensive schools, and an independent school. One interviewee taught music privately at home andanother worked on community music projects with various opera companies and orchestras across thecountry.

Several common themes emerged from the interviews. One of the most significant was the impact ofCurriculum 2000. This was mentioned by all of the teachers interviewed.

3.1 The impact of Curriculum 2000

In 1999 all the A Level specifications were rewritten according to new QCA Subject Criteria. AS and A2exams were introduced across all subjects. The introduction of AS levels has meant that the amount of timeavailable for teaching has been reduced because of the additional exams. The general feeling was thatcourses have now become more exam driven with less time for critical thinking. As a consequence thetime spent in the sixth form is very structured which can leave new undergraduates at a disadvantage whenhaving to structure their own time.

As one teacher put it:

A Levels have been turned into exam ‘sausage machines’ with no opportunity to breathe or to give a bigger picture. It has changed the flavour of the first year of A Level study. In the past it could be used as a foundation year butnow, because it leads to the AS assessment, it is very full, which has precluded this. Students often ask ‘do we needthis for the exam?’

Although the AS/A2 structure was criticised by many, most teachers welcomed the broader approach of theCurriculum 2000 Music A Level, seeing it as an opening out of the whole subject giving teachers theopportunity to take different routes through the specification e.g. in Edexcel the Bach chorale/counterpointroute or the 32 bar pop song/popular music route. One comprehensive school teacher summarised thesestrengths and weaknesses as follows:

Strengths of students following most A Level courses: variety of choice, diversity of styles, nothing too technical.All of these are disadvantages for a university! Also there are many opportunities to make music in groups andperform in concerts – clearly advantageous for universities.

Weaknesses of students following most A Level courses: insufficient time for study, teachers with patchytechnology skills, little time for proper aural training.

Each of the GCE Music exam boards offers a range of options within the specification. One private musicteacher perceived this as a weakness:

The current exams seem to place far more emphasis on following individual preferences as opposed to a broadermore structured course. There is far too much emphasis, in my opinion, on composition and performance. There isalso too much free choice as to what works are studied. Students quite often manage not to study any Westernclassical music at all on the courses.

Because the standard of performance is not as demanding as previously, it is no longer necessary forstudents to have private instrumental lessons. As a result of this, coupled with the broader Curriculum2000 approach, candidate numbers for both GCSE and GCE have risen and continue to rise.

|Year |Number of AS Music and Music Technology candidates ||2003 |11,412 ||2004 |11,982 ||2006 |13,129 ||Year |Number of A2 Music and Music Technology candidates ||2003 |8040 ||2004 |8570 ||2006 |9338 |

As one comprehensive school teacher commented,

Our group sizes have been steadily increasing - about 10/12 in Year 12 of very different musical abilities rangingfrom Grade A - E at AS.

3.2 The transition from GCSE to A Level Music

There was a general feeling from teachers that the current step from GCSE to A Level Music was too big.The recent (February 2007) QCA Review of standards in A Level and GCSE music. 1985–2005 alsoexpressed concern over the transition from GCSE to A Level Music.

Overall, reviewers considered that the step from GCSE to AS was too large, whereas that from AS to A2 was seenas relatively smooth, and presenting few problems. The difficulties of progression from GCSE to AS, were seen tolie, not in the nature of the content of syllabi, but in the low level of assessment challenges set for candidates atGCSE, leaving them unprepared for the more appropriate demands at AS and A2. 2007:84

One secondary school teacher, however, has found that it is possible to engineer a carefully chosen routethrough Edexcel GCSE which eases students into the A Level. Nowadays GCSE students only needperformance level of around Grade III ABRSM Practical, and it is not necessary to be able to read staffnotation in order to take the exam. Several of the music staff who were interviewed were concerned thatGCSE does not offer the rigour that it could and that some students find the shift to AS level quite difficult.One FE lecturer felt that GCSE was not the adequate preparation for A Level that students perceived it asand went as far to say that ‘GCSE is not needed – it gives students a false sense of security for A LevelMusic.’ Because of this the entry requirements for his college are built on interview and audition, ratherthan GCSE, and all students are taught to read notation once they start the course. Some teachers weredeveloping strategies to overcome the perceived shortcomings of GCSE. One taught GCSE Music ‘withAS level in mind’, and another expected to ‘teach harmony from scratch’ at AS level.

3.3 Examination boards and options

Most of the teachers interviewed (75%) followed the Edexcel route. Of the remaining three, twofollowed OCR and one, AQA. This is roughly in line with national trends.

|Board |No of A2 candidates 2004|No of A2 candidates 2006||Edexcel Music |4054 (65%)* |4359 (67%) ||Edexcel Music Technology |2321 |2806 ||AQA |964 (15%) |903 (14%) ||OCR |1231 (20%) |1270 (19%) ||TOTAL |8570 |9338 |

* Percentages shown do not include Music Technology.

When choosing which options to offer, each school took a different approach. The implications of themultiplicity of different routes were recognised in some of the teacher’s comments:

In my experience there is no single approach to this among music teachers. I offer most options and studentschoose – some schools offer no options and all students follow the course the teacher deems most important or best. Again this gives you no clear baseline.

How well prepared students are for the music degree depends very much on which A Level theyhave done and which options they have taken. They are at an advantage if they have done the Bach chorale withEdexcel.

The teacher from the high-achieving independent school believed that ‘with dedicated teachers the optionsoffered by the Edexcel A Level in Music can be perfect’ but added that he found the standard far belowwhat his pupils can handle and therefore he covers twice as much ground with the pupils writing 2500 –4000 word essays, for example.

A sample of the different approaches to option choice is given below:

The students choose their own Composition Techniques – they often choose serialism and the electro-acousticoption. They also do the Bach chorale – this is often part of the entry tests for university music degrees.

Our selection of options is aimed at a basic grounding in harmony and analysis for those who need it when they goto Music college for performance courses/Uni or even on popular music courses. We try to work with the studentsstrengths obviously.

There is choice of options for Composition Techniques – the selection is made partly by thestaff and partly by the students. Four options are offered for A2. All of those going on touniversity will be expected to take the harmony option.

For composition techniques, all students study the Bach chorale and serialism. These have been chosen with thespecialist skills of the teachers in mind and because the Bach chorale is fundamental to many other aspects of thecourse and a good preparation for university. For AS, all students follow Areas of Study in ‘Music for LargeEnsemble’ and ‘Sacred Vocal Music’. The additional A2 Area of Study varies from year to year, but last year thestudents studied ‘Film and Television Music’, sometimes gaps are left gaps in the chronological context.

All students study the Bach chorale and are then grouped into other Areas of Study and composition techniquesclasses. The staff chose which options the students follow, but with the students’ interests in mind. The Bachchorale is not always popular with the students. A fellow teacher refers to it as ‘eating your greens’. It is certainlyof limited use for pop musicians.

As can be seen from these comments, most of the teachers chose to follow the Bach chorale option,recognising that it is ‘fundamental to many other aspects of the course and a good preparation foruniversity’. The popularity of this Edexcel option is reflected nationwide.

The following extracts from the 2006 GCE Music Examiners’ Report give some indication of thepopularity of each Compositional Techniques topic.

AS - 80% (4500 students)[1] of the AS candidates chose the Bach chorale.

A2: 57.5% (2500 students) of candidates chose the Bach chorale14.5% (600 students) the pop song12.5% (500 students) Baroque counterpoint9.3% (400 students) Serialism4% (200 students) Minimalism.

Very few chose ‘Renaissance counterpoint’, ‘Extended techniques’ and ‘Electro-acoustic music’.

3.4 A new type of music student

Pre-Curriculum 2000, few students would have studied music at A Level and a significant proportion ofthese would have gone on to study music at university. There was a clear route for skilled classicalmusicians from GCSE through A Level to BMus, often culminating in work in the music profession. Thebroadening out of the A Level music specification coupled with the introduction of A Level MusicTechnology, has resulted in widening participation. Several teachers welcomed the new type of studentsthis has attracted. One teacher from a successful sixth form college said that he now dealt with a widerange of students:

from those who took music up as essentially a 4th or 5th subject with no previous experience (some neverhaving encountered notation) to those who were planning on going to music college. Perhaps the most interestingstudents though were those who considered music their main subject but who had never engaged with classicalmusic. These students (by far the majority now I would say) typically played guitar, bass or drums and ran theirown often quite successful bands. They often did far more performing than the ’classical’ students and were farmore interested in current musical issues.

Another sixth form college teacher noted that, in his experience, music students are predominantlyinterested in classical music and are good performers, whereas Music Technology students are dividedbetween those who are classically trained and those who may struggle with the theory but are good pop androck instrumentalists. He observed that his Music Technology students tend to be more creative than theclassically trained Music students. As another comprehensive teacher observed:

It should be remembered, of course, that many students do not go to university to merely continue where they lefttheir A Level studies. It is the excitement of new ideas and processes which I think grabs their interest.

3.5 The teaching of traditional skills in analysis, harmony and counterpoint

There is a feeling amongst music lecturers at the University of Huddersfield that today’s students haveweaker skills in analysis, harmony and counterpoint than those of ten years ago. Teachers were askedabout these aspects of the A Level course. Several of them pointed to the lack of time to develop theseskills. In the independent school, for example, students study the Bach chorale plus either serialism orminimalism. Their teacher believes that, in general, no-one reaches a really high standard of writing in theBach chorale. He feels that there is not enough time to bring the pupils to a high standard, particularlywhen they have joined the school in the sixth form and have come from schools with little music.

The broadening out of A Level Music courses means that a lot more ground is covered in the course. Asone teacher said ‘There is more to do in Music A Level than other A Level subjects, but the students allenjoy it.’ Furthermore, most schools offer a wealth of extra-curricular music activities. As onecomprehensive teacher pointed out

This means that ‘traditional’ skills, particularly of analysis and harmony / counterpoint receive fairly smallemphasis. In a typical A Level course [OCR], for example, I would expect to teach harmony from scratch (GCSEis of necessity very mixed-ability in a comprehensive school, with many students not reading music). AS levelrequirements are equivalent to Grade VI ABRSM, and I would be able to spend no more than 20 hours at AS and20 at A2 on harmony; at A2 level, students can avoid formal harmony completely if they want to. Having alsotaught AQA, my perception is that there is a slightly more strict harmony element, but students still have the optionto avoid traditional harmony. Typically I am allotted 3 hours per week for A Level music with very small groups (1-4 students).

The comments I have made about harmony apply equally to counterpoint, which I would not teach until A2 andthen only to exceptional students. Similarly, music analysis at AS level is elementary, with again approximately20–30 hours devoted in AS to the study of 6 set works - 3 jazz, three classical (c 1780 – 1835). A2 analysis iswider ranging with OCR, but (unfortunately in my opinion) there are no set works.

3.6 Teaching and learning styles

One of the teachers interviewed gave a useful summary of teaching and learning styles in his sixth formcollege:

Lessons are one hour and five minutes long. Groups may have up to 20 students in them. Different teachers takedifferent approaches, of course, but worksheets are used to act as a framework. Notes are not dictated. There are noformal study skills lessons but these are built into the introductory sessions. The students are not very confidentabout expressing their opinions, rather they see themselves as receptacles to be filled with knowledge and ideas.Many students find it difficult to write essays and are not very good at taking notes. There was more of an emphasison essay writing in the old specification. There is too much reliance on internet research and a reluctance to use thelibrary. They do not use the library much but are given study packs to use.

There seemed to be a general awareness of the importance of essay writing and the pupils’ weaknesses inthis area, in particularly their over-reliance on the internet. Several of the music teachers helped with essay-writing techniques within music classes. In one of the sixth form colleges, students learn essay writingskills within all A Level subjects and the teaching of it was rigorous. The library had a pamphlet‘References and citations’ which all students use and Music A Level students were given a workbook onhow to use the library.

All of the A Level classes observed were friendly, informal groups which are at the same time teacher-dependent and teacher-led. The focus was very much on the A Level syllabus, getting through the contentso that the students can pass exams and the schools can meet their targets. This was well-illustrated in onelesson where A2 A Level Music students were present for an introductory session on PerformanceInvestigation – a detailed comparison of two different performances of the same piece of music. Both ofthe teachers present work as Examiners for OCR and the work focused on the methods and approachesneeded to get the highest marks. As part of the Performance Investigation students have to submitrecorded excerpts and in this session students were learning how to use some new software – ‘Audacity’.To this end they were each given instructions in a spiral-bound workbook with a plastic cover. The teacherhad clearly gone to a lot of trouble to prepare them. These sixth-formers would be very well-prepared fortheir A Level exams, but not necessarily for the independent study they will encounter at university.Everything observed was very teacher-dependent: students were being given useful skills but were notbeing given the opportunity to think for themselves. In short, they were being spoon-fed.

3.7 What teachers believed universities should offer in their music degrees.

Teachers were asked what they would like to see universities offer in their music degrees. The privatemusic teacher thought that

universities should be maintaining high standards and not lowering these to meet the inability of incoming students.It needs to be made clear in prospectus’ etc. what the requirements are and what students are expected to know. Ithink it would be all too easy for universities to lower their standards in order to succumb to the inappropriate AS

and A2 music courses.

Most teachers, however, looked for a broadening out of music degree courses. One of the sixth form

college teachers felt that ‘courses should not be too narrow in their approach (too much note-by-noteSchenkerian analysis, for example) but should always enable a clarity of context.’ Another of the sixthform college teachers, a graduate of the University of Huddersfield, thought that music degrees should be‘broad and not too focused’:

Everyone should learn about music technology and it should also include something about the professional skillsneeded in the music business – more about how to apply for funding, the BMIC, spnm etc. Everyone should studymusic theory but it should be tailored towards student interests.

When asked whether he thought that the BMus course at Huddersfield had prepared him for his futurecareer, he said that it had set him up for everything he did now as a freelance composer and educationalist.He was impressed by the open-minded philosophy and the emphasis on the real world. For him the mainstrengths were in the study of composition where he cited the good staff and the valuable opportunities tohave pieces performed. In comparison he described the BMus course at the University of London college,where he now teaches, as being rooted in the nineteenth century with its emphasis is on musicology andlimited opportunities for performing and composing.

The independent school teacher looked towards a British system emulating the top music courses inthe United States, where students study music stage by stage, intensively and systematically, coveringeverything from pop music to world music, ancient music to Jewish chants. He contrasted this withCambridge ‘where three or four areas of music are covered and everything else is run down’ adding that‘Cambridge will have to reinvent itself or the world will pass it by’.

Two of the comprehensive school teachers looked for ways to bridge the gap between A Level and degree,one wrote:

In my view the most effective course of action for a university music department, having decided what type ofcourses to teach, is to run a short foundation course for all students. Whether a traditional music course, atechnology or jazz course, it would be a straightforward task to establish a set of baseline skills and knowledgewhich all students would be aware of the need for. After all, you are taking students from such diversebackgrounds that there is no real baseline. Even then there is no guarantee that all students will have the skillsnecessary to access the rest of the course!

3.8 The PGCE Perspective

In order to establish how well-prepared music graduates are for a career in teaching, variousrepresentatives from two PGCE courses were interviewed. These were Lesley-Anne Pearson, Jayne Priceand Helen Cowan from the School of Education and Professional Development at the University ofHuddersfield, and Tony Harris from Nottingham Trent University.

In the past, the majority of music undergraduates were expected to play the piano, develop keyboardharmony skills, sight sing and study four-part harmony. Nowadays music degrees differ from course tocourse, but it is unlikely that music graduates will have developed all these skills. Lesley-Anne Pearsonobserved that in recent years there has been a decline in student abilities in these areas but considers themvital for classroom teaching. At the same time, significant changes in the National Curriculum in Musichave not been reflected in most university degrees to the same extent. As a result, prospective teachingstudents often do not have the broad range of skills that are needed in a music classroom. It could beargued that music degrees do not prepare students for teacher training although many of them will followthis route. Both universities recognise that a breadth of skills and experience is necessary to be asuccessful music teacher and, because of this, PGCE students complete a skills audit at the beginning of

the course in order to identify any areas of weakness. They are then required to develop their existingmusical knowledge, skills and understanding through the year. The University of Huddersfield ‘Audit ofsubject knowledge, skills, experiences and understanding’ breaks down the different areas into

• instrumental skills

• keyboard skills• knowledge of world music• knowledge of the history of music• composition skills• aural skills• musical analysis• using electronic equipment• using sound-processing equipment• using score-writing computer packages

• using sequencers for composing

Numbers of pupils studying Music Technology A Level continue to increase (helped by the fact that pricesof hardware and software have recently fallen dramatically) but there is still a shortage of competentteachers in this field. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many teacher training institutions will notaccept students with music technology rather than music degrees. However, the teacher-trainingrepresentatives interviewed put the emphasis on breadth of knowledge rather than depth of expertise ineither music or music technology and recognised that music technology graduates can shine in theclassroom, particularly when they are teamed with an older teacher without music technology skills.

3.9 Summary

1. Curriculum 2000 has meant increased accessibility across the full ability range with jazz, popular, worldmusic and film music being included alongside Western classical music. This broader approach iswelcomed by most teachers.

2. Student numbers for Music and Music Technology A Levels have risen and continue to rise.

3. The introduction of the AS/A2 structure has meant that courses are now more exam-driven andthe time available for teaching has been reduced.

4. Teachers feel that the step from GCSE to A Level Music is too big.

5. Pre-university music qualifications are too diverse to expect a smooth transition from school touniversity.

6. Most schools offer Edexcel A Level Music which has a wide range of options. The majority of schoolsteach the Bach chorale as part of Composition Techniques.

7. Widening participation has meant that new types of music student have appeared, often with apop/music technology background. Their creativity and open-mindedness is welcomed by many musicteachers.

8. Curriculum 2000 has meant that there is less time to teach more traditional skills such as harmony,counterpoint and analysis.

9. Sixth formers are very well-prepared for their A Level exams but not necessarily for the independentstudy they will encounter at university.

10. Most of the teachers interviewed looked for a broadening out of university music degrees.

11. Many music graduates follow a career in teaching, but prospective teaching students often do not havethe broad range of skills that are needed in a music classroom.

4 Music, Music Technology and English at the University ofHuddersfield

4.1 Music provision at Huddersfield

The BMus course was the first undergraduate music course to be introduced outside the Universities whenit came into being at Huddersfield Polytechnic (originally as a BA in Music) in 1970. The course had andstill has a particular focus on practical performance and contemporary composition. It currently recruitsabout 80 students a year. Since the late 1990s music technol